Combined car-checker&#39;s lamps and book holder.



F.1. WHITNE Y'& P. s. HALL. COMBINED SARCHECKERS LAMPS AND BOOK HOLDER.

.APPLICATION FILED MAE. 29, 1915.

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FRANKLIN JOSEPH WHITNEY AND IPHILILIIE SI-IU-RDEN HALL, OF BREDENBURY,

SASKTCHEWN, CANADA.

i v COMBINED CAR-CHECKERS LAMPS AND BOOK HOLDER.

time@ yprovide a device 'containing lamps and a book, which device ywhenopened, will throw light against a carto illuminate the num bersthereof, and to illuminate the seals on the car doors, and at the sametime illuminate the book whereby the car checker keeps his records, andthe construction of our invention will -be hereinafter set forth andwhat we claim as new will be pointed out in the claims forming part ofthis specification.

Figure 1 is in part a vertical longitudinal section through our deviceshowing internal construction, and infpart an end elevation ofthe'batteryV case, portion of the cover being shown open and in dottedlines. ,Fig 2 is a plan view of our device, certain parts being brokenaway, and shown in section to illustrate internal construction. Fig. 3is a vertical longitudinal section through the rear portion of the covershowing construction of same. p

- In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in each figure.Y o Y It is well known that car checkers have tokeep record of the numbers on cars, as well as to inspect the conditionof the seals sealing the car doors, and this operation has to be carriedout in all kinds of weather at night time as well as .during the daytime.

Itis very awkwardfor the car checker to make entries in his book and atthe same time hold a light to illuminate the necessary parts of the carat night time, and one of the chief objects of our invention is toprovide a device which, when opened, will light two lamps, one in thetop of the cover to throw 4a light on the car, and the other in theinner side vof the cover to illuminate the book.

A is any suitable battery case in which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented fIpr. 25, Itlll.

I Application led March 29, 1915. Serial No. 17,620.

is mounted any suitable source of electric current, for4 instance a drybattery composed of two cells B and C. ,Coupled to said battery case isa member D forming the base of the apparatus.- This member is secured tothe battery case A by any suitable means. A suitable coupling means weillustrate is composed of a metal member E suitably secured to thebattery case A and secured by rivets F or any othersuitable means to thebase D. The cover G may 'be' o of any'suitable construction, and thesame o 1s provlded with side flanges H and a front flange I. rIheseflanges fit around the sides of the base D, and together with the top ofthe cover make the apparatus lWeatherproof so as to keep the book J fromthev rain. 'Ihe rear ends K of the side flanges II are concaved as shownin Fig. 3, particularly so that the cover will fit closely against thebattery case A. 'Ihe cover is hinged to the battery case A by aplurality of hinges L through the medium of the top M thereof. Toprovide room for the lamp N, the top M is constructed with tapered sidessubstantially as shown in Figs. l and 2, so that the connections for thelamp N may be positioned within the cover andfree from the weather.

2 and 3 are plates forming partof the cover and spaced apart, andmountedin the plate 2 is a socket 4 for the electric lamp 5, the shade 6of which is preferably held in the plate 3 and projects therethrough.The plate 2 may be omitted and the lamp 5 mounted in the plate 3 asbefore described, but the use of the two plates irmly support the lamp.The plates 2 and 3 are pref erablymade of metal not only to strengthenthe construction of the cover, but also to prevent the light from eitherlamp interfering. When the cover is moved into the dotted positionillustrated in Fig. l, the circuit is closed, thus lightingthe lamps.The lamp N throws the light against the car, and lamp 5 throws the lightto illuminate the book J.

7 is a metal contact strip secured to the battery casing A, and 9 is ametal contact strip forming a contact pole secured to the in Fig. 1,performs the function of a switch ics end l0 of the cell C. Suitablycarried by by coming into contact with the Contact strips 7 and 9 so asto close the circuit for the lamps hereinafter particularly set forth.Secured to one end of the battery case A is aspring 12 the free end 13of .which rests in contact with the pole 14 of the cell B, and thefunction of this spring is tokeep the pole 15 of the cell B incontactwith the pole 16 of the cell C. The switch 11 always extends infront of the outer end of the cell yCv so as to assist in preventing thelcells from'dropping out of the battery case A, and since the inner endsof the contact strips7 and 9 are beveled, the switch 1l will always rideover the outersides of the said contact strips when the cover is open.`It is designed that the' cells B and C shall, fit fairly tightly in thebattery case A, so that we will not have to depend entirely on theswitch 11 to retain them therein. f A

We shall now describe a suitable circuit for vthe lamps. We will suppose`that the V switch 11 is in Contact with the contact strips 7 and 9;Thereforethe current passesfrom the role 10 through the contact pole orstrip 9 carried thereby to the switch 11, and

from this switch it passes into thecontact strip 7, which is Wired bythewire 17, to the leaf 18of one of the hinges and thence through theother leaf 19 along thewire 2O I to the binding post 21,0f the lamp 5,thence of the lamp N; out of this lamp by thev through thewire 22 to thebinding post 23 binding post 24 and Wire 25 to the binding postl 26 `ofthe lamp 5 and thence through the Wire 27 Ato the leaf 28 of another ofthe hinges, and through the leaf 29 and wire 30 to the binding post 31of the switch .plate32; through the switch 33 and binding post34,'through the Wire 35 to the end 13 of the spring 12, thence throughthe poles 14,15 and 16 to the pole 10. It will therefore-be understoodthat as long as the switch 33 is-closed, the lamps N and 5willimmediately be lighted, and so soon as this cover is closed farenough the circuit will be opened to extinguish said lamps.

In order to prevent the waste of current particularly during the daytime when 'it will not be necessary to light the lamps, the switch 33.is provided which can bel used to open the circuit.

'The hingesmentioned as being included in the circuit are of course'insulated from the case A if this case, be made of metal. If-the'sameb'f'inade of red fiber or equivalent material, of course specialinsulation By utiliziii'g the hinges as part ,of the circuit, We, pre'ent the breaking or entanglement of the wires 'as the cover opens ancloses.

i for the hinges `vill not be necessary.

' VYAny lsuitable clamping means-'may be provided for` the book J. Asuitable clamping plate 36 is shown secured to the base D by the rivetsF and the head 37 of this clamping plate is formed to provide a groove38 in which his held the stud 39 of the book J.

40 is a 'spring plate u'pon which the inner portion of the book isplaced, and as the inner end 41 of said spring plate operates adjacentthe clamping plate 36, it co-acts with the head 37 t0 retain the stud 39in place. Any'suitable means suoli as screws -42 may be used to securethe spring plate 40 in position.

Any suitable catch mechanism particu- `larly illustrated in Fig. 1, forinstance the spring lip 43, may be used to co-act with `the plate 44 tohold the cover closed. It is obvious that the principle of our inventionmay be embodied yin different forms without departing from the spiritthereof and therefore we do not confine ourselves to the constructiondescribed and Shown except in so far as this may be rendered necessaryby the prior state of the art and the .terms of our claims.

What'we claim as our invention is:

1. An article 0f`the class described coniprising a suitable base; amovable cover having hinge-connection with said base; an

electric lairip mounted in said cover and pu sitioned to illuminate saidbase, another electric lamp mounted 1n sa1d cover in position t0 directlight beyond the cover; a source of Aelectrical energy carried by saidbase; a

suitable circuit for said lamps connected with said source of electricalenergy, and means whereby when said cover is opened far enough saidcircuit will be closed to light said electric lamps. I 2. An article ofthe class described coinprising a suitable base; means whereby a bookmay be clamped to said base; a movopened far, enough said circuit willbeclosed to light said electricv lamps.

3. An-article of the class described comprising a suitable base; abattery case coupled to said base and containing a suitable battery; a'cover having hinge-connection with vsaid battery case; an electric lampmounted in said cover and positioned to illuminate said base; anotherelectric lam mounted in said cover and positioned to d1- rect lightbeyond the same; a suitable circuit connectin said lamps with saidbattery, and a suitable switch carried by said cover designed to closesaid circuit when medaeo said cover is opened far enough to light saidlamps.

4:.' An article of the class described comprising a suitable base; abookpositioned on said base; suitable clamping means carried by said base toclamp said book in position; a battery `c ase coupled to said base andcontaining a suitable battery; a cover having hinge-connection with saidbattery case; an electric lamp mounted in said cover and positioned .toilluminate 4said base; another electric lamp mounted in said cover andpositioned to direct light beyond the same; a suitable circuitconnecting said lamps With said battery, and a suitable switch carriedby said cover designed to close said circuit, when said cover 1s openedfar enough, to light Said lamps.

5. An article of the class described cornprising a suitable base; abattery case coupled to said base and containing a suitable battery; acover lhaving hinge-eonnection with said battery case and provided witha horizontally disposed plate, and further provided with a top memberwhich proJects above said plate; an electric lamp mounted in saidplatein position to illuminate said base; another electric lamp mounted insaid top member and positioned to direct the light beyond the same; asuitable circuit connecting said lamps with said battery, and a suitableswitch carried by said cover designed to close said circuit, when saidcover is'opened far enough, to light said lamps.

, 6. An article of the class described cornprising a suitable base; abattery ease coupled to Said base and containing a suitable battery; acover having rhinge-eonnection With said battery case; an electric lampmounted in said cover and positioned to illuminate said base; anotherelectric lamp mounted in said cover and positionedl to direct lightbeyond the same;v a contact strip Icarried by the outer end of saidbattery; an-

other contact strip secured to said battery case,l suitable Wiringconnectlng said lamps and said second mentionel contact strip with iisaid battery, and a suitable contact strip carried by said cover anddesigned to come into contact with said other contact strips Whenvsaidcover is opened far enough so as to close said circuit to light saidlamps. y

In testimony'vvhereof We have affixed our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANKLllN JOSEPH WHllTNEY. p PHILLIP SHURDEN HALL.

Witnesses:

A. SorTsow, THOMAS STEvENsoN.

